{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://richmond.house.gov/press-release/rep-richmond-applauds-senate-passage-flood-insurance-fix", "Rep. Richmond Responds to Senate Passage of Flood Insurance Fix", "2014-03-13", "2014", "2014-03", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Cedric Richmond", "R000588", "richmond.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington DC -- Today the Senate passed H.R. 3370, the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act.\u00a0 This legislation is the companion to the bill Rep. Richmond helped write, and which passed the House of Representatives on March 4, 2014. Now that the bill has passed the Senate, it will go to the President\u2019s desk where it is expected to be signed into law.\n\u00a0\n\u201cWith the passage of this bill in the Senate, homeowners and small business owners can now look forward to an affordable flood insurance program without fear of exorbitant rate increases year after year,\u201d said Rep. Cedric Richmond. \u201cHomeowners in Louisiana and all across the country have made their voices heard. Rising premium costs have put them under undue strain, and when the President signs this bill into law they will finally see some much needed relief.\n\u00a0\n\u201cI want to thank Sen. Landrieu (D-LA) for her leadership in the Senate to ensure that fixing the flood insurance program remained a priority and was brought to a vote with expediency. The people of Louisiana can now rest a little easier with the knowledge that they will soon see more manageable premiums, and a more transparent and accountable system.\u00a0 They now know they will be protected when they play by the rules.\n\u00a0\n\u201cThis bill serves as an example of bipartisan cooperation that achieves tangible results for the American people.\u201d\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\nPassage in the Senate marks another milestone in the long journey flood insurance reform legislation has taken over the last year.\u00a0 Rep. Richmond first introduced a flood insurance reform bill in May of 2013.\u00a0 The original bill drew support from Rep. Waters (CA-43), the entire Louisiana delegation, and 35 of Rep. Richmond\u2019s colleagues. \n\u00a0\nDespite several obstacles, Rep. Richmond was able to garner bipartisan support for H.R. 3370 in the House of Representatives, which led to its passage late last week with a vote of 306 to 91. \u00a0180 Democratic Members of the House voted in favor of this legislation.\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\nThe final version of H.R. 3370 included the following provisions added by Reps. Richmond and Waters, with input from their Democratic colleagues and members of the Senate:\n\u00a0\nRate Affordability\n Reps. Richmond and Waters were able to put in place a cap on year\u2014over\u2014year rate increases for individuals, which before were unlimited, and bring that cap down from 20% (Republican offer) to 18%.\n\tReps. Richmond and Waters closed a loophole that would have allowed properties newly mapped into a flood area to see extreme rate increases. These properties will now be given their former preferred risk classification and can only increase pursuant to the 5-15/18% cap.\n \u00a0\nMap Accuracy\n Language was added to ensure that the models FEMA uses to create new flood maps are the best and most appropriate available.\n\tLanguage was added to make sure FEMA considers the best available data, especially the data on file in a community, before publishing a preliminary flood map.\n\tThe requirement was added that FEMA notify Members of Congress 30 days before a map is proposed in a district.\n \u00a0\nAccountability/Oversight\n FEMA must now keep track of this data and monitor and report on affordability for small businesses, non-profits, and churches. If FEMA finds detrimental effects on these policyholders, it must provide recommendations to Congress that address these effects.\n \u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://richmond.house.gov/press-release/rep-richmond-applauds-senate-passage-flood-insurance-fix"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9060823358595371, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}